Characteristics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-positive Patients Reported by Blood Centers, Central Taiwan, 2011-2016

Characteristics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-positive Patients Reported by Blood Centers, Central Taiwan, 2011-2016

From 1984 to 2016, 33,428 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive patients had been reported to Taiwan CDC, with 1,335 patients (4.0%) screened in blood centers. To investigate the characteristics of these patients, we analyzed 71 patients in central Taiwan from 2011 to 2016. We collected questionnaire responses by the chronic infectious disease surveillance system from 2011 to 2016. Among 71 patients, 69 (97.2 %) were male, 48 (67.6%) aged between 20–29 years and 39 (54.9%) had bachelor's degree. Twenty-four (33.8%) were working in service industries (sex workers not included) and 20 (28.2%) were in military service. Major risk factor (71.8%) was men who have sex with men (MSM). All patients did not intend to screen HIV infection or to know their health status through blood donation. However, 68.1% patients did not fulfill the “Criteria for Donor Selection”, including 31.9% patients who did not consider themselves as high-risk groups of acquiring HIV and 40.9% patients who were MSM. Two married woman, who were not sex workers, were infected by their husbands through sexual transmission. To assure the blood safety, we suggested implementing HIV and blood safety education in schools at all levels. Blood centers also should educate people not to screen for HIV infection through blood donation. We also recommended that people who ever had sexual behavior should screen HIV infection regularly and not to donate blood if they had high-risk behavior.